Naruto: Days of Future Past
by max acorn
Summary: 25 years in the future, the world has been conquered by a race of invaders, leaving only a untied ninja village as the last stronghold for humanity. to change this, Naruto and his 3 closest friends travel back into the past to change this outcome and save the future. narusaku and sasuhina. R&R
1. Prologue

MA: hey peeps. So let me get this out of the way from the jump. I...hate...Naruto. I didn't always hate Naruto but that ending...wow. It was so bad that my former love of the series turned into bitter hate. To see a author/mangaka turn against his own creation was jarring for. I honestly wanted nothing to do with the series: no manga, no anime, no movies, no games, nothing. But then I started getting a idea. A Idea for a fic. And since I have a little bit of time, I figured I'd at least post a little something and see how it goes. It goes without saying that I don't own Naruto or the characters. If I did, I would've certainly not made that ending and the related material so crappy. So enough of this rant. ON WITH THE FIC!

 **NARUTO: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST**

 **PROLOGUE  
**

* * *

The single revealed eye of Kakashi Hatake took in the usual sight that normally occupied his mornings: the Konoha memorial stone. It is here that all those who have fallen in the line of duty in service to the village are remembered. It was a gravestone of gravestones. Special to anyone and everyone who lost someone since the founding of the leaf. He remembered when he was just a boy, visiting the site with his late father. The names weren't so numerous back then. Not small but any stretch of the imagination but no where near as big as they are now.

The Copy-ninja only came here to see 2 particular name: Obito and Rin. His former team. Both long dead.

He kept it a closely guarded secret about how he obtained his Sharingan, despite not being a member of the infamous Uchiha clan. No one really asked, partly out of respect and partly out of fear. Kakashi was already a talented and powerful ninja before he received the eye. Now, he was so powerful, there was even talk of him becoming a candidate to be a future Hokage.

But he did not care about that. He would give his much valued to speak with his old squad-mates, just one last time. He wanted to tell Rin he was sorry doing what he did to her. And he wanted tell Obito that he was sorry for not keeping his promise to protect her.

This was his routine. His habit. His sense of normalcy. Every morning he would come to pay respects to his teammates, his mentor, and his father.

After his hour long 'chat' with the dearly departed, he set off to the training grounds to meet up with his team.

His team. Hard to believe he had a team. Ever since he had become a Jonin, he had never gotten assigned a Genin team. And that's how he liked it. He didn't want a team. He didn't need a team. He was perfectly happy being just a regular Jonin. There were many young ninjas who hoped and dreamed that they could study under the famous Copy-ninja of Konoha but he didn't want to be a teacher. He felt like he didn't deserve it. But this was a direct order from the 3rd Hokage. Rare that the Hokage of all people would order him to take command of a team. But part of him could see why when he met up with the 3 young ninja, fresh out of the academy. Interesting little group, they were.

Sakura Haruno. High marks in her class. Very intelligent and studious. Rare to find a Genin with perfect chakra control. The negatives? She had not the mindset for being a shinobi. More focused on her looks than really training. And the only reason she wants to be a ninja was to gain the attention of a boy. Not a good start.

Sasuke Uchiha. The boy she liked. He couldn't really blame her. He was the class genius. Best in his class. Last survivor of the Uchiha massacre, done by his own older brother, Itachi. Sasuke was looked up favorably by the higher ups that he could be the next great ninja. But he had a darkness in him. A darkness that could lead him down a dark path.

And Naruto Uzumaki. The class clown. The dead last. Everyone knew him. He was a prankster who dreamed of being Hokage He looked so much like Minato-sensei but had none of his skills or talent. He took more after his mother than anything else. The host for the Nine-tails. Hated and shunned by the village. But colorful and excited by being a ninja.

Interesting group but they would still have to pass the bell test. The same test Minato-sensei gave him, Obito, and Rin all those years ago. It should show just hot dedicated that they were to this way of life. He expected to fail them since they did not seem like the types to work in a team, which the test requires.

As he approached the grounds, his single eye focused on the orange, red, and blue forms of the trio in question. He expected them to be unhappy and irritable, since he told them not to eat before the test began, to throw them off their game. But from what he could see, they seemed neither. They seated in a small semi-circle, talking to each other. About what, he couldn't make out, even with his highly sensitive ears. But it was so odd to see that scene. He didn't get the sense that they would be talking so closely so soon. He thought he had a pretty good handle on how they would interact with one another:

Sakura loved Sasuke Thought the boy was utterly awesome and thought he could do no wrong. But she hated Naruto for being annoying.

Naruto liked Sakura Easy enough to pick up. But he disliked Sasuke From what Iruka told him, the two had a bitter rivalry, like cats and dogs. Dead last vs. Top student.

Sasuke didn't care for anyone, at all. He had no time for romance nor did he view Naruto as anything but a hindrance.

These elements could be worked around with time but they seemed too...chummy for his tastes.

They suddenly turned heads towards him as he approached. Their talking ceased as he got nearer.

"yo," he greeted, "sorry I'm late. I got lost on the path of life."

he expect to get some glares and screams of "YOU'RE LATE!" from at least Naruto and Sakura They seemed the type to do that. But no. He was met with dead silence and very serious stares from 3 pairs of eyes. It was then that he noticed it. The looks in their eyes were...different from yesterday's first meeting: Sakura's eyes no longer where those of a shallow fan-girl, hoping to gain the attentions of a boy but those of kindness and mercy and a certain weariness. The kind of eyes you'd see from a doctor. Sasuke's were still had hints of darkness in them but it were tempered, gentle, like the evening sky. Naruto's were the most changed. There was still energy and youthfulness there but they were also tired eyes, like the weight of the world was on his shoulder. He had the eyes of a seasoned leader. Kakashi was almost intimidated looking at the son of his teacher. They didn't have the eyes of fresh young rookies. They had the eyes of vets, of ninjas have seen death.

They had the eyes of ninja who have seen too much death.

"so," he began, hoping that it was just his imagination messing with him, "now it's time for your test."

"Kakashi-sensei." Naruto voice shocked him. It was the same as yesterday but had a sense of...command about it. Like he was about to order him to do something and expect him to do it. "we need to talk."

"oh? What about?"

"I'm afraid we won't be taking the bell test." Kakashi was surprised, though he didn't show it on what little of his face was exposed. How did he know about the test? He never gave the test to anyone before.

He needed to play this cool. "and why not? You do know your lives as Genin are on the line."

Naruto waved it off. "what we have to talk about is more important."

Now his curiosity was really piqued. What did these three want to talk about that was more important than the test? He decided to humor him. "ok. So what do you want to talk about?"

Naruto exchanged glances with the other two, who nodded with him. After that, he began, "Kakashi-sensei, this is gonna sound crazy. It doesn't make sense to me when I think about it but everything, EVERYTHING, I'm about to tell you is the honest truth." He took a moment to collect himself before he continued. "Kakashi-sensei, we...aren't your team."

"you...aren't?"

"well, not really anyway."

"so...you are telling that you aren't Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke?"

"well, yes we are, but...not the same people that you met yesterday. We are them but different."

"how different?"

"we...are from the future."

there was a pregnant pause the moment those five words left the blonde's mouth. The trio wanted him to process the information. There was no outward sign of shock, surprised, and disbelief. They expected this. Kakashi was always hard to read, only showing emotion when he wanted to. They knew this. If he didn't trust what he had said, he certainly didn't show. His single eyes looked at each other, trying to see a smirk betray the prank they were pulling on him. Nothing but dead seriousness.

He finally spoke, "you...are the future."

"yes."

"just you, Naruto?"

"no, all three of us."

"I see. So what's the future like?" he asked in a very humored tone.

"he's tell the truth, Kakashi-sensei." The Jonin nearly jumped out his skin. Her's was different too. There ware maturity that wasn't there before. Maturity and wisdom. And slight undercurrent of affection, directed at Naruto Why would she act like that for him? Didn't she like the Uchiha?

"he's right, Kakashi. He maybe a moron but he's being straight with him." him too. Sasuke's voice did seem dismissive and insulting towards Naruto but there was a friendship in it. A closeness that wasn't there before. What is going on here?

"this is a joke, right? I'm not sure how Naruto wrangled you two in this prank but..."

"enjoy your visit to the memorial, Kakashi-sensei?" Said Naruto, stopping his teacher from speaking further. "you got there every morning. That's why you are always late."

"visiting Rin and Obito, right?" Sakura added. Were they watching him? And how did they know about his team? It's not common knowledge. And he doubted they asked Guy or anyone else.

"Obito Uchiha. My cousin. The same man you got that eye from." Sasuke's finger pointed to the eye that was covered by his forehead protector that acted like a make-shift eye-patch. There was no way this boy would know about his Sharingan. Least of all that he got it from Obito.

Naruto spoke, "it was on your last mission with your team. You lost your eye during a battle. Obito was crushed by a massive boulder. Half of him anyway. He asked Rin, as a last wish, to remove his Sharingan and place it in your eye. That way, you two would be bonded for life."

"ENOUGH!" he roared. Now, Kakashi Hatake was normally a very laid back man, not prone to outbursts of emotion. But when he was angry, he was force of nature, with a ferocity that rivaled his own ninja dogs that he summoned on occasion. And now, given all that he had heard from the young upstarts, he was terrifying. His outcry did make them jump a bit but they were not outwardly frightened. "I don't know where you got your information or how, but I would advise you to stop. You are treading in territory that you should not go. I'm gonna call it a day. And you are going to take the bell test tomorrow. And I do not want to hear anymore of this senseless prank. And for your sake's, you will." It had been a long time since Kakashi was angry. Really, legitimately angry. He was so angry that he didn't even think about cracking open the newest volume of "Make-out Paradise" that was burning a hole in his back pocket. It would be a hours before he would be able to find his calm and not want to go to the Hokage to ask him to rid himself from these three.

He turned on his heel and started to walk away when Naruto spoke again. "Kakashi-sensei." the Jonin was about to admonish the younger man but the moment he turned back around, his rage had all but vanished in that one moment. Naruto now standing up, his arm outstretched towards the older ninja. Inside of his open palm was a aqua blue ball of pure chakra, spinning like a pinwheel in the breeze. He knew what it was and he was utterly speechless. It was impossible. He shouldn't even know about it, let alone be able to perform it.

"this is the Rasengan," Naruto, somewhat strained, "you know this, right? One of the most difficult jutsu to learn and to master. It has no hand-signs. The only way to learn it is from someone who already knows how to do it since the method to do it was never written down. Only 3 men know this jutsu: you, Jiraya of the legendary Sannin, and the man who created it, Minato Namikaze. He was your teacher, the 4th Hokage and my father." When he was done, his arm went slack and the ball vanished into the air. He exhaled sharply, panting in distress. Almost instantly, Sakura was by his side, holding his arm.

"Naruto..." her voice was heavy with concern.

"I'm fine," he muttered, "it's just...doing the Rasengan in this body..."

"hold still." her hands began to glow green, sending healing waves into his shaking arm.

Sasuke watched and said, "you can heal already?"

"yeah but not by much. Only so much I can do right now." after a few moments, it seemed like he was feeling better as he flexed his fingers. He gave her a nod, telling her that she did a good enough job. This sealed it for him. Sakura should not be able to know the healing arts. All of this was impossible for Kakashi to rationalize. Unless...he was telling the truth. There was no other explanation that came close to making sense.

After a few minutes of processing what they told him and what he had just seen, Kakashi slowly sat down and spoke, "that was...interesting. So, let's say for a second I believe you. That you 3 are from the future, the obvious question is easy: why are you here?"

Sakura and Naruto settled back into their seats. "what we are here for is to...change the future."

"change it? How far into the future are you from?"

"about 25 years, give or take."

"25 years. That's quite the trip."

"it was."

"so what happens that so bad that you came all the way back here to change it?"

"ok. ummmm. In a about 3 years from now, there's gonna a war. A big one. This one makes the past one look like school yard fights."

"which village do we fight?"

"it's not a village. This time, we were fighting something worse: the Akatsuki."

Akatsuki. That's a name he had heard the name before. Not many Jonin knew about the group of rogue ninjas. The mere fact that they knew the name was just more proof that their outlandish story was true. "the Akatsuki? Didn't they would be grow strong enough to actually challenge us like that."

"not just us. All the villages unite against them. For the time ever, the entire ninja world was united in one cause."

"so you are to stop the war?"

"no. although it would be a bonus for us if we did. Actually, we won the war. It's just what came after the war that is the real reason."

"what happened after the war?"

Sasuke spoke only one single word, "hell."

Their faces darkened. Whatever this future was they came back from, I wasn't sure he wanted to see it. "hell?"

"we...don't much about them," said Naruto, "we don't even know where they came from originally. We only know three things: they were powerful, they were evil, and they weren't human."

Sakura spoke next. "they attacked about 6 months after the war. We tried to fight them but...you have to understand, Kakashi-sensei We had just finished fighting a world war. We were in no position to fight another major conflict, and certainly not against...them."

"how did you do?"

"we threw everything we had at them, Kakashi," spoke Sasuke, "but in the end...we barely were able to do much of anything. We lived but lost."

"lost what?"

"everything. We lost everything."

"but...you guys are still alive. How were you living?"

"that's just it," said Naruto," we weren't living. We were just...surviving." 

**END OF** **PROLOGUE**

* * *

ahhhh. And so it begins. Glad I was able to get this out of my skull in time. So what do you think? Want to see more of this? Then go ahead and leave a review of it. If I get at least 10 reviews, I will continue this story and you can see how the future turns out after a massive invasion and a losing war. So until next time...

LATER FICCERS!


	2. 25 YEARS LATER

MA: hey peeps. Wow. Did not expect the turn out for this one fic. Mostly love. Some hate. And to the question of "why did I write this fic if I hate Naruto?", the answer is quite simple: because I wanted to. When I have a story I wish to write, I tend to want to write it. I don't need a complex reason for it. I just do it. If you don't like it, TS. I'm not forcing you to read this bad boy. So enough of me bitching about haters and their hate. I don't own Naruto so don't sue me. So with that, ON WITH THE FIC!

 **NARUTO: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST**

 **CHAPTER 1: 25 YEARS LATER...**

* * *

Pushing up on the fallen door, Shinrei Inuzuka lifted the dilapidated piece of wood off the floor, revealing a small hole in the ground.

"Looks like we hit the jackpot, Pogo."

His canine companion barked in approval at their find: a small set of water filters that somehow survived the attack that wrecked it many years ago. He reached down with his gloved hand and pulled up the box containing the filters. It's rare to find anything that survived this long into the years of hell that had passed. This was gold mine, a treasure greater than what it normally would've cost in the time before...they came.

"Find something?" The voice belonged to Keiko Nara, a member of his squad. Her blonde hair shined brightly in the sunlight shining behind head as she stood in the door way.

He smiled and said, "Found some filters. Good ones too."

"For real?" she asked, walking over to inspect his find. "Wow. Guess it was worth coming here after all."

"And you said my idea was stupid."

"Well, you can only be write once in a while. You were due." He flashed his canines at her, not appreciating her Joke at his expense. Pogo yipped at her, which in his ears was a laugh. Shinrei growled the word 'traitor' at him. He always took her side when it came to this stuff.

"Did you find anything?"

Keiko shook her head. "Nothing. A few books here and there but nothing too big."

"Well look on the bright side: at least you've given your dad something else to read." She gave him a small smile but there was still a hint of sadness in it. Her father liked to read old texts like this. It seems all he ever does these days is read in the grand library back home. She helped him retrieve the filters and carry them outside. The town around them was a mess: bombed-out buildings, deserted streets and debris everywhere. Their captain once told them that this town was once a bustling hub of commerce due to the bridge that built a long time ago. The same bridge they crossed to get here. They had heard a lot of stories about what the world was like before things when to hell. But that's all they were: stories.

The pair made their way to the truck. Well, it's not really a truck but that's what they called it. It was more of a hover vehicle but calling it a truck made it seem more appropriate. The vehicle was about 15 feet long with a black cover on the back to protect the cargo that occupied it with a armored front cab in case things got hairy. It was not built for combat but it could hold it's own against most low level infantry that they could probably run again. But it was fast. Fast enough to get from side of the country to another. In other words, it was the perfect tool for supply runs and recon missions, like this one.

The black-haired shinobi placed the cargo in the back before asking, "Hey, where's Jigen?"

"Up there." he followed her finger upwards to one of the wrecked buildings. On the roof stood the 3rd member of their squad. Jigen often took to the high ground when acting as look-out for the team, in this case a building. His gray goggle obscured his deep blue, hawk-like eyes that gave him impressive eyesight, even in the darkest of areas. He acknowledged the pair with a small salute.

"where's the captain?" She yelled. He whistled and gestured down the street, towards the bridged they crossed to get to this former town. Jigen had lost his voice a few years ago during a ambush and thus had to create a means of communication via whistles and hand-signs. It wasn't such a hassle since the three of them had been working together for years. After putting up their find in the back of the truck, they made the short walk to the bridge, where their captain stood. Silent as if conversing with the object like a old friend. Their captain was a reminiscing sort, similar to those of his generation. The generation that was before the "Hell Age". His black combat jacket, a derivative of the old Chunin vests used by the shinobi of Konoha, held tight against his form. He more than likely knew they were coming but he didn't give any sign of it. He merely stood at the mouth of the bridge, looking up at the old, wrecked sign that signified it's name. The two took to either side of him and looked up his face, or what little he reviled of it: a black sash covered his hair, a matching one obscured his mouth, and his forehead protector draped over his left-eye. They never really asked him how he lost his eyes. He just didn't seem like the type to talk about that sort of thing.

Shinrei spoke first. "Captain, you ok?"

"The land of waves," he answered. The younger ninjas shared a look between them as their captain's single eye looked over the bridge.

"um, sir?"

"This land. That's what it's called. At least, it use to be."

Keiko asked, "Did you use to come here a lot, sir?"

"Not really. Only came here once or twice before. Lovely land. Strong people too."

"when was your first time?"

"A long time ago. This place was actually the site of my first mission with my team. Fought a powerful ninja too. Really wish he was still alive right now." He gave a muffled sigh. He really needed to stop having thoughts like this. That world was dead. "sorry. Lost in my memories. So, find anything worth taking back?"

"Just a few water filters. They looked like they were in good condition."

The captain smiled, or at least what they thought was a smile under the mask. "good find. This was a good spot to stop, Shinrei."

"Thank you, sir."

"Let's move out. Don't want to say too-" His words were cut off by the high whistle of Jigen's. The trio glanced up, knowing full well what that sound meant: incoming. The muted ninja effortless jumped down to ground level, in front of his captain.

"How many?" Jigen answered with five fingers. Just as he did, the captain caught sight of a pack of five silhouettes moving towards them. They were Dark Mounts: horrifying armored soldiers, clad in obsidian metal from head to toe and armed with long blasting pikes that exploded with the force of 10 paper bombs. They rode upon Shadow fiends, a nightmarish Chimera: part horse, part dog, and part...something else. Something not from Earth. They were large, utterly fearless, and would eat anything that they found remotely appetizing. They could already hear the disgusting snorting and slobbering from the beasts' mouths, even from so far away. The young trio already had a few previous encounters with them but not as many as their captain obviously had.

"Move" was the first word out of his mouth. The trio didn't need another command. They knew things were about to get loud. Jigen made a few hand-signs before slapping his palms to the ground. A massive fist erupted from the earth, readying to crush all who opposed them. Shinrei and Pogo jumped off the fist and down towards the approaching foes. The human popped one of his special solider pills that his clan was known for into his mouth. The effect gave him a greater physical bulk, sharper claws and canines. His dog partner mirrored his act, increasing his almost massive form to near equal to one of the beasts and his grayish white fur flared up in anticipation for the battle ahead. Keiko took position behind Jigen, her trusty trench-knife, given to her by her father, in hand and ready. The captain pulled out his kunai, the least of his various weapons he had on his person.

Shinrei and Pogo drew first blood, tackling into two of the mounts. The human clawed at the armored rider, tearing away at his metal covering. Pogo was able to kill the mount outright with a vicious bite to it's throat. The poor dog gave a slight whimper in disgust. Fiends didn't taste good in the slightest. Utterly vile and putrid, it was like eating the corpse of a pig that had been dead for years and that been lying in a pool of it's own waste. Pogo wanted to vomit right then and there but he knew it wasn't time or place.

Jigen performed a few hand-seals before slapping the ground, causing the earth to rise up and fire shards of sharpened rocks at their foes. They dodged it well enough but it was enough of a diversion for Keiko and the Captain to take to the air, leaping off the risen wall of dirt and falling down to attack. The girl drove her knife into one of the riders, mortally wounding it in the process. They were thrown off by the fiend, the rider landing with a resounding thud. Keiko landed on her feet and square off with the beast, who was eyeing her as another potential feast. She threw her dagger at it, knowing full well that it could nimbly avoid it. And right into her trap.

 _ **Ninja art: Shadow Trap Jutsu**_

The moment the creature landed in the shadows, it was caught by a mass of dark tendrils that bound it from moving as it wanted. At least for a while. She knew that her jutus couldn't hold it for long so she had to finish it while she had the chance. With blazing speed, she perform another jutsu.

 _ **Ninja art: Shadow Eruption Jutsu**_

The tendrils made their way into its mouth, eyes, nose, and any available orifice they could find. Reaching into its skin, the shadows proceeded to ripped the creature apart, literally erupting from its flesh from the inside out. Sure, it was a terrible and extremely painful death but when dealing with this enemy, they had to do whatever it took to win. Once the creature dispatched, she considered helping her captain with the other 3 riders but a quick glance over to him dismissed those thoughts. In the time it took her and her teammates to take out their foes, the captain had already killed the last 3 mounts and was in the process of taking out their riders.

Seeing him fight was always a treat, especially since, this time, he was forgoing any advanced genjutsu or ninjutsu and was simply relying on taijutsu to take out the riders. It was almost like a dance to him. Every foot fall and hand placement was perfectly timed to both defend and attack. They attacked him from three sides but he gracefully dodged their pikes and disarmed them with a few well placed chops to their wrists. One came at him with a kick, which he ducked under with easy before retaliating with upward shoulder thrust. One came straight at him. He learned that was a foolish move as the captain casually snapped his pike in half and rained down a barrage of quick strikes to his chest. Even with one eye, the captain was more than enough for these low-level grunts. After thoroughly beating them down, he finally put a end to the skirmish by snapping all their neck in succession. The trio only could watch in awe as their leader seemed to not even break a sweat.

Pogo barked something at him, something that only Shinrei seemed to understand. "Yeah. You said it, pal."

The captain exhaled before speaking again, "Is everyone alright?"

"I'm fine," said Keiko

"Me and Pogo had no problems," added Shinrei, scratching behind his partners ear. Jigen merely gave a thumbs-up. The captain sighed. They were lucky that this squad was small. If it had been larger, they might have had issues.

"Good. Let's not press our luck. Let's load up and get out of here before something bigger comes our way."

"but, captain, what about-"

Whatever question the girl had for him was drowned out by something slamming into the ground with a resounding thud. Dust and debris stormed around them, blocking their view of whatever it was that landed near them. Then, just as the dust began to settle, Pogo began to emit a low, menacing growl. He was the first to realize what they were facing now. It was only after the scene cleared that they understood why the dog was reacting like he was. Seeing it was enough to freeze the trio in their place while their captain took a step forward, knowing what was to come.

It stood a good 30ft tall, covered in shiny, silvery skin that was more akin to liquid metal than anything, huge arms and legs that were wider than most trees and staring at them all was a giant glowing red eye in a otherwise flat and featureless face. It didn't speak or made a sound that was akin to anything living at all. All they heard was a low rumbling noise, like the sound of thunder mixed with a metal waterfall. The trio knew what it was but only due to the many debriefs they sat in on at the academy. Never before had they seen one in person and all secretly hoped they would live their lives never having to see one themselves. This was the one foe none of them wished to face in combat.

Star-man.

That's what they called it. It was the invader's strongest and most powerful field solider. A automaton of frightening destructive power and singular drive. It felt no pain. No fear. Nothing that can be consider a emotion. It was destroyer, in the purest sense of the word. They knew what this thing was a capable of. They had heard all the horror stories, mainly about how one Star-man utterly annihilated the Rain Village, killing thousands in a single day. Many had tried to battle this thing but very few lived to tell the tale. This being was the stuff of nightmares for shinobi like them. So much so that they were frozen in their spots, unable to move or even thing. This was a foe that was beyond them and they knew it. But fate was on their side, for you see in the 20 years that they had been fighting this war, only 5 people have ever faced a Star-man and actually beaten it. And thankfully for them, they happen to have one of them on their team.

Their nerve unfroze upon hearing the familiar crackle of lightening surging from their captain's right hand. He was not scared of this metal monster. Fear was the last thing he felt as he stared at the machine, metal eye to human eye.

"GET TO THE TRUCK AND GET IT RUNNING!" he roared to his team.

"But captain," said Keiko but he would brook no other words. "ARE YOU DEAF!? GET TO THE TRUCK! I'LL SCRAP THIS BASTARDS! MOVE!" The trio followed his orders and sprinted back to the vehicle. The Star-man cast his eye to fleeing youths but was stopped when the captain spiked his electric fury even higher. "No way, you big bitch! You're playing with me today!" Everyone knew that Star-men were programmed to always attack and kill the strongest enemy combatants and right now, the captain was it.

The metal giant threw out a punch with surprising speed for something its size. The captain dodged it and sprinted up his arm, smashing his lightening laced fist into it's face. The giant staggered as the ninja landed on the ground but it did not fall. He let loose a blast of electrified chakra which only seemed to annoy the beast, if it could feel annoyance. He knew that was no where near enough to take this thing out but he got it focusing on him. It pointed it's palm at him and released a yellow blast of energy at him. The captain barely dodged as he dashed up a building. He had to keep moving. That thing would use every single chance it could get to kill him, blasting at him relentlessly. With energy attacks trailing right on his heels, he leapt from ruined building to building, countering with his own attacks. This wasn't like the previous battle. He needed every ounce of strength, speed, and cunning to deal with this foe.

Another blast. This time, the shock-wave was close enough to make him lose his footing and hit the street below. The robot advanced on him with another punch, which he meet with his own. The collision was felt all the way down to the truck, where the trio were waiting, engines ready to take off when the battle was over. The captain was forced back, sliding backwards along the ground. This was getting out of hand. The quickness of the robot showed itself again, covering the distance and slapping the veteran ninja into a window.

"CAPTAIN!" screamed Keiko. After a second or two, the ninja jumped out of the wreckage but his path was intercepted by the hand of the Star-man grasping his body. The sudden metal pressure caused him to groan loud enough for his charges to hear him. The giant proceeded to squeeze his form with its palm, hoping to crush the life out of him.

"CAPTAIN! WE'RE COMING!" yelled Shinrei as he and Pogo prepare to back up their leader. "NO!" he commended. "STAY WITH THE TRUCK!" the pair were reluctant to follow his orders but they knew they would only get his way. The ninja looked up at the giant with his one eye and sneered, "OK, tin man. The gloves are coming off."

 _ **AMATERASU**_

Suddenly, the Star-man was consumed by jet black flames. The intense flames were enough to cause the robot to stagger back but not before throwing the ninja across the ground like a skipping stone. The captain slid across the ground to a stop, losing the stashes on his head and face. He stood up, his dark blue hair waving in the breeze and a look of determination on his now fully exposed face.

"ARE YOU OK?" yelled Keiko. "DO YOU NEED HELP, CAPTAIN SASUKE?"

Sasuke Uchiha stood alone, the wind blowing in his long hair as he watched the flames produced by his now active sharingan start to fade away. He wasn't surprised by this at all. Experience told him that his flames would need to be a lot hotter and more focused to have a real effect on the giant. That attack was done more to get the thing off him. Now, he was going on the offense. The Star-man pointed it's palm at the Uchiha, presumably to fire at him. Sasuke released another wave of dark fire, more concentrated than before. It's hand blew backward, this time far more damaged than before. He fired again, this time at his chest. It was strong enough to bring it to a knee but not enough to end the battle. It quickly fired off another energy attack from it's other palm, with Sasuke barely avoid an fiery death.

"Fine, then," he said to the automaton, "you wanna get big? Let's get big."

 _ **SUSANOO**_

The giant ethereal skeleton wrapped itself around Sasuke's form, sword in hand and ready for battle. The Star-man flew at him with a punch, staggering the ninja into another building. Sasuke swung his sword arm, leaving a long gash on the machine's silver skin. It threw another punch. Sasuke's free hand caught it, sliding back along the ground from the force. The match was even. He was glad for that. Fighting a Star-man was a tall order, even for him. This was one of the few times he missed his eye. With both eyes, he would've had more than enough strength to turn this machine into scrap. He missed it but he didn't regret losing it.

Sasuke charged forward. The two titans crashed against each other, mechanical might versus chakra infused power. He winced a bit. The earlier scuffle has left him more injured than he thought. His concentration was slipping. Not good for using Susanoo. The Star-man pointed it's palms at him and fired a volley of energy blasts. Each impact felt like a hurricane of agony. Before he could regain his footing, it slammed his fist in Susanoo's ribs, shattering them like cord wood and sending Sasuke flying back.

"CAPTAIN SASUKE!" Keiko and Shinrei prepared to jump into the fight to aid him but Sasuke's raised hand halted them. "GET BACK!" he ordered.

"But captain...?"

"Get to the truck and get out of here! I'll beat this thing and catch up! And no buts!"

The last Uchiha reached into his vest pouch and retrieved a small white scroll. He unrolled it and in a puff of smoke, produced his signature white katana. Quickly unsheathing it, he took a ready stance as the Star-man approached with no sense of urgency in it's steps. "Been a while since I used this," said Sasuke, "But you earned it. Now come get cut, you son of a bitch!"

 _ **RASENGAN**_

From the skies, a shadowed figure descended with a ball of spinning blue energy ball in his hand. He slammed it into the gash from Sasuke's previous attack. The impact was so great that the machine crumbled into ground, a massive explosion of dust covering the area. The captain and his team covered his eyes from the debris cloud. When the dust settled, the Star-man was down, sparking and damaged at the center of a giant crater. Standing over it was the figure, dressed in a large orange and black flowing overcoat, covering his white undershirt and loose fitting matching pants. His short blonde hair blew in the breeze and his sky blue eyes looking over the ninjas he aided. His left arm was in a sling, covered by tight bandages and a series of metal braces.

He smiled brightly. "Am I interrupting something?"

Shinrei and and Keiko were in awe and shock. "Lord Hokage?" the young girl spoke.

Sasuke grunted as she straightened up, relaxing his posture. "Tc! Who said I needed your help, loser?"

Naruto Uzumaki glanced back at the wreck of the robot. "Could've fooled me."

"I could've finished him."

"I know but you were taking so long. I was getting bored."

"I wasn't here to entertain you. Besides, what the hell are you doing out here anyway?"

"Meh. It was getting boring back at the village so I decided to follow you guys and get some exercise."

"You're injured, dumb-ass!" he snapped, pointing at his friend's wrapped arm. "You should be back home resting."

"The fresh air would do me good."

Sasuke sighed to himself. "You know she's gonna kill you when we get back."

"No way! She doesn't even know I'm here. I mean I left a shadow clone and everything." Sasuke gave him a impassive look. After a second, his confidence faltered. "You're right. She'll see through. I'm a dead man."

Sasuke cracked a small smile. "If you die, can I have your coat?"

"Sasuke, you bastard!"

The young ninjas watched in stunned silence as the two adults bickered between each other. This was rare a sight for them. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha The two strongest ninja in the world. The heroes of the last great ninja war. The two men who lead their generation against the invaders. And here they were, arguing like children. But despite all the harsh words and raised voices, the youngsters could tell there was a solid bond of friendship and brotherhood between them.

Their war of words came to a abrupt halt as the heavily damaged Star-man suddenly rose back to life, menacing over them them. Before the young ninjas could beginning to move in their direction to aid their seniors, the 2 legends vanished from sight and re-appeared behind the robot. The Star-man would've turned around to battle the two, if it hadn't been cut into several neatly sliced pieces and falling the ground in a heap. Naruto's hand held a smaller version of his famed Rasengan Shuriken while Sasuke's blade hummed with electrified chakra. They had always been told that only these two men could handle Star-men. Told but never shown. And as you well known, seeing is believing.

Naruto dispelled the jutsu. "Man, it sucks getting old."

Sasuke sheaved his sword in his wooden scabbard. "Yeah. It really does." he cast his single eye back at the awe-struck shinobi. "What are you standing around for? Let's get a move on!"

"Yes, sir!" Keiko and Shinrei answered with Jigen nodding from the driver seat. Sasuke's body ached, not prepared for such a battle. He looked over to Naruto He didn't show it but the minor fight did take a toll on him. He still wasn't at his best and it was foolish for him to engage a Star-man in his condition. He caught him flexing the fingers of his injured arm. He tried to hide it but even with one good eye, he still could tell when his best friend was putting on airs. Naruto locked eyes with him and just smiled, happy that he was worried about him. Granting him only the briefest of smirks, Sasuke lead him back to the truck and the two climbed in the back. "We're in, Jigen. Let's roll!" Sasuke called out.

The truck hummed to life, the advanced engines powering the hover mechanisms beneath it. It floated about 6 feet off the ground before taking off at a high rate of speed. Say one thing about the war with the invaders: it did give a boon in terms of practical tech. A hover truck would've been a pipe-dream many years ago but thanks to reverse engineering and human ingenuity, it was as common as a refrigerator. A trip to the land of waves to New Konoha would've taken 4 days before. Now, it was a little under 4 hours. A shame that such advancements came at such a high price.

They sped across the bridge in record time, at least compared to the old days. They cleared it under 3 minutes. Before it took about 20 by foot. As it left the bridge behind, the two older ninja looked back at the sign above it. It was a mess of disorganized letters that use to spell out the Hokage's name, the bridge being named after him. It brought back memories for the both of them: a old drunk bridge builder who couldn't afford higher ranked ninja. A demon hidden in the mist. A country in need of freedom. A talented but tragic ninja. A scumbag business man. The burial of two very great shinobi. And Inari. Little inari. It was still a sore spot for Naruto He remembered seeing how he had grown from a loud mouth little kid into a powerful warrior, protecting his family and country. He cried bitterly when he heard he died holding off the invaders as the civilians fled in retreat. It was a punch in the gut for him to lose another close friend to these bastards.

Regret. That was primary feeling that the two had as the scenery passed by them from their seats. The land they had once called home was barren. Blasted. Utterly ruined. The skies of the distant lands seemed to be in constant storms, lightning striking with far more regularity and severity than anyone had ever seen before. Those lands didn't belong to humanity anymore. They belonged to the beings that were called "The 8 Overfiends". These monsters ruled over most sections of the world, like pieces of a pie. Naruto had fought one of them. That's where he got his injures from. The battle was a draw but he knew that if the rest were like that one, he would rather avoid fighting the lot of them by himself.

The trio couldn't understand it. How whenever they were paired with one of the older ninja, they looked upon the land with such sadness and regret. For them, this was the world. This was normalcy. They had no memory of different villages, different lands, different peoples. This was the world they were born in. But for Naruto, Sasuke, and the ninja of their generation, all they saw was a world that was no longer theirs. A world that they lost. A world they probably will never get back.

The hours passed relatively quiet. No patrols or other such run-ins. The temperature drop signaled they had reached the northern mountains, the only area not under the control of the invaders. Here, the air was still clear here. None of the unusual storms that plagued everywhere else. They had to pass through several canyons before nearing the outlying areas that surrounded New Konoha Jigen whistled, catching Sasuke's attention. The Uchiha shuffled up to the front of the truck and took hold of the radio receiver.

"This is truck 14 calling wall guard. Come in, wall guard."

"This is wall guard station five. We receive you."

"Requesting permission to enter and unload."

"Request received. Please present code and call sign."

"Sasuke Uchiha. Captain. Authorization code: 67460G0203. Call sign: serpent."

"Authorization and call sign confirmed. Request granted. Welcome home, truck 14."

A torrent of smiles swept up among the ninjas as they passed through the last cave before reaching their destination. The high walls of New Konoha were a sight to behold: nearly 200 feet high, made of a special concrete that took years to process and create just for the task protecting this place. The truck rode out of the cave, which was a good 2 miles from the perimeter of the walls. The approach always left the trio breathless. It was always a marvel to see what the previous generation pulled off to protect them. They passed through the open dock door at the bottom of the wall.

The inside of the wall of like a city unto itself. Well, it had to be because it was home to the titanic garrison that manned the wall's edges and the first line of defense for the village. These men and women were called "The Wall Guard". Their job is to watch out for threats and maintain security. No one went out or got in without their say so. The wall was also home to the village's expeditionary vehicles like the truck they rode in on. These vehicles were built, maintained, and kept inside the walls, as to keep accident from happening. It was a major problem before the walls were built. The insides were a buzz of activity, between the other returning teams, the shouts of mechanics fixing trucks, and the changing of the shifts for the night watch.

Jigen parked the truck in it's usual spot, Section 7, slot 14. after powering down the engines, the occupants departed the vehicle. Naruto's presence was a surprise to all who saw him get out. No one knew that he was even out of his office in the central tower, let alone out of the village. He gave those who saw him a gentle wave and a smile. The three young ninja unloaded their supplies before standing before their beloved captain.

"I gotta say," Sasuke started, "You three did a excellent job out there. Not only did you operate as a team but you stayed calm and clear headed in battle. I'll make sure my report reflects that." All three of them beamed at the praise the Uchiha heaped upon them. "dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" Keiko and Shinrei shouted. Jigen just gave a small salute. With that, the trio, plus dog, turned and jogged off to give their debriefs and head into the village proper.

"You know," started Naruto, "They are a pretty good team."

"Still young and all, but they got potential," added Sasuke.

"Reminds me of another up and coming trio from back in the day."

"You don't say?"

"Yeah. But for the similarities to really work, one of them has to be a big jerkface about everything."

"Shut up," he said as he playfully punched his best friend in the arm.

"I figured you would be here, Naruto."

They turned to the voice that spoke behind them. It came from a old friend of theirs. "Hey bushy brow."

Standing before them was the captain of the wall guard and the man responsible for the defense and safety of New Konoha, Rock Lee. He was always clad in his signature green track suit, as a tribute to his beloved sense, Might Gai. Over it, he wore a similar style green military as Sasuke's but with fewer pockets since he didn't need to leave the village for extended periods of time. His face was older, more aged but still containing the youthful spirit his mentor instilled him all those years ago. Gone was his bowl cut. Now, his hair was much shorter, almost similar to a buzz-cut in a way. As Naruto pointed out with his use of the nickname he gave him a long time ago, his eyebrows were still as full and bushy as ever. There were two major changes to his appearance though: first, he had grown a thin black goatee, which made him a big hit with the ladies of the village. Second, and most distinct, was his left arm. Or lack of a left arm. It was blown off in a attack on the village about 10 years prior. The sleeve of his track suit hung limply at his side, almost as a gravestone to his departed arm. A lot of the lower ranked ninja didn't know why the man just didn't get a artificial one to replace it but when asked by his friends, he simply said, "I shall be a splendid ninja, even with only one arm". Only they could understand why his thinking on the matter. That's just the kind of man Rock Lee was.

"Naruto, you know you are not suppose to leave the village without telling me. I should have at least provided an escort to ensure your safety."

"Yeah right!" he shot back, "I don't need some young green horns to provide me with protection. Beside, I was with Sasuke He's the best security in the entire world."

"Don't push your lucky, loser."

Rock Lee sighed to himself. "I guess no one can stop you from doing what you want, I guess. Still, it was quite a surprise to see your clone walking about the village."

"You could tell?" asked a dejected Naruto.

"Of course. Anyone who has known you for so long can tell easily."

Naruto's head slumped. "How many?"

Rock placed his hand on his chin as he pondered the question. "Hmmm, I would say only a few from our usual group: Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Tenten, Kiba, Shino, and myself. Possibly Gaara if he ran into him. Oh and of course, your wife." A horrible chill went up the Hokage's spine at that last statement. He knew he was in trouble.

"Told ya. She's gonna kill you," Quipped his friend.

"I request dips on your coat!" shouted the green clad ninja.

"Too slow. I already did."

"That is not fair, Sasuke! I have had my eye on that coat for years!"

"Too slow, my man."

"Can you two not talk about dividing up my personal belongs while I'm still alive?" His friends smiled at him and his sorrow over his upcoming fate at home.

"Then I shall not keep you. Enjoy what little life you have left, my friend," Rock Joked as he jumped up to a nearby catwalk and went about his duties.

Sasuke patted him on the shoulder. "Well, might as well get it with." The duo strolled out of the docks, meeting and greeting with many workers, ninja and guardsmen going about their daily lives around this time, and exited into the village proper of New Konoha.

Now, village is a improper term for this place. New Konoha was less of a village and more of a city. A massive sprawling metropolis that was at least 10 times the size of Old Konoha In fact, it was largest city ever built by the hands of man. Fitting since it had to accommodate the over 10 million inhabitants that occupy it. It was also the last true human city left in the world. At least, the last that anyone knew about.

High buildings made up the skyline, with the Hokage Tower, the seat of government for the city, at its absolute center. One of the boons of the invasion was the advancements in technology, thanks to reverse engineering some of their tech and integrating it with their own, making the city far more advanced than any other city of its city that came before. The city was divided up along the old village lines, each section named after one of the old shinobi villages that dominated the land. The section the two friends were in was the Rock section, which was responsible for growing all of the vegetables and raising all the livestock for the village. It was kind of a weird scene, seeing a giant skyscrapers next to miles of farmlands. Upgrades made in the fields of agriculture and horticulture allowed for greater crop yields and better quality produce. And thanks to recycling machines, population and waste products were a total minimum.

The two ninja passed by the vast fields of grass and wheat, catching sight of the various farmers and farm hands that tended the crops. A few of them waved over to them, getting the favor returned by the best friends. Naruto enjoyed walking the fields of the Rock Section. It reminded him a lot of Frog Mountain. Well, Frog Mountain before the invaders utterly wiped it off the map.

After a few minutes, they came unto the limits of the city proper. "Guess this is where I leave you," spoke Sasuke Naruto didn't want to face his wife alone. Not without witnesses and back-up.

"Come on, Sasuke," whined the Hokage, "You can stick with me for a bit more."

The Uchiha shook his head. "No way. I don't wanna be anywhere near you when this shit goes down. Besides, I miss my wife."

"Fair enough," he groaned in defeat as his friend back to walk away, towards his home. "If you live through this, we are still on for game night with the guys, right?"

"Yeah, whatever," Naruto pouted as his best friend gave a small wave before walking off. Naruto sighed to himself. He felt like a child who was scared to go home to face the punishment he knew was coming. He found no solace in postponing the pain so he vaulted onto a nearby rooftop and traveled along the skies of New Konoha, looking down at the many peoples that called it home. Coat flapping in the wind, he zipped across the building, traversing the miles between where he started and his destination in record time: New Konoha General Hospital.

The massive complex of 10 separate buildings was spread out like a wagon wheel with the main administrative building in the center. The 9 other wings were connected to the main building by a series of stone paths and high walkways, allowing for fast travel between the separate sections. He landed right at the main entrance of the administrative wing with a poof of dust. It must have been a slow day since there was no one around when he arrived.

He entered. His assumption was right. There was very few people around, aside from a sleeping orderly and a rather bored looking nurse. She must have been half-dosing since she didn't seem to recognize him. Just as he was about to speak to her, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Naruto!" it was Shizune, the assistant director of New Konoha General.

"Hey, sis," he replied. Growing up as Naruto did, he didn't have a family. But he did have a great surrogate family to rely on.

Jiraiya, one of the 3 Sanin, was his father figure.

Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, was his mother figure.

Iruka-sensei, his teacher in the academy, was his older brother figure.

And Shizune was his older sister figure. The older ninja always dotted upon Naruto since the first day they met. It was a instant connection. She always looked out for him since he was a kid and he was something of the overprotective brother. He even warned Yamato on the day that he married her that if he hurt her, he's break his legs. His former commanding officer totally understood his concerns.

"What brings you here?"

"Just visiting the little wife. Her shift is almost over and I figured I'd walk her home."

"Aww that's so sweet, Naruto But this wouldn't have anything to do with that clone you left behind?"

Naruto balked. "You knew?!"

The woman pinched his whiskered cheek. "Of course I did. And if I could tell, she definitely could. So you might as well as head up and not beat around the bush."

"Good point. Where is she?"

"9th floor. She should be finishing up her rounds around the infectious disease ward."

"Great. Well, time to face the music. Tell Yamato-sensei I said hi."

"I will. Good luck, Naruto" she gave him a small kiss on the cheek before leaving him to his fate. The Hokage entered the elevator and hit the 9 button. The car jerked upwards and moved to its destination. Naruto exited on the desired floor and began to scanned the floor with his Sage senses to find his beloved wife. After a few seconds, he pinpointed her location and began to walk towards it, although not as fast as he normally would move. Then, standing in front of a patient's room, clipboard in hand, stood his wife.

Sakura Uzumaki, the director of New Konoha General and the village's most skilled Medic. Her talents for medicine and healing have saved countless lives, both during the war and the early days of the invasion. There wasn't a person alive today who hadn't know the touch of the Pink- haired angel of mercy. And he was married to her. The love of his life who had been chasing since he was a youngster. The only woman he ever wanted. He stood there, looking at her form, taking in every little detail: her pink hair had grown much longer since the days of the 4th great ninja war but not to length of her early Genin days. The blue chakra mark that she inherited from her teacher marked her as one of the strongest ninja in the village. Her body had developed into a shapely mass of curves and bends that he counted his blessings that he could sleep next to that body every night. She wore a pink t-shirt under a white doctor's coat which she wore when she was on the clock. She hadn't noticed him yet, her eyes glued to the clipboard and her hand moving the pen along the surface of the paper. Typical Sakura She worked so hard to save so many lives. That dedication to her craft was just one of the many reasons he loved her.

He touched her shoulder, snapping out of her focus of her work. "Hey, Sakura"

"Naruto?" She said just before he planted a small kiss on her lips. "What are you doing here?

"Well, I finished my paper work for the day faster than normal so I decided to surprise my beautiful wife by walking her home."

"You didn't need to do that, sweetie."

"Of course I did. I missed you."

"Yeah but we saw each other at lunch." Naruto flinched a bit. He forgot that they had lunch together almost everyday, if they weren't too busy with their separate duties. She must have had lunch with the clone. "I know," he lied, "But it doesn't change the fact that I still missed you."

"You're a moron, Naruto," she said with a smile.

"True," he flashed her his signature wide grin, "But I'm YOUR moron."

"Impatient boy," she remarked, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Speaking of lunch, Sakura You...didn't happen to...notice something off with me?"

His spouse's face gain a quizzical expression. "Off? Like how?"

He scratched the back of his blonde head. "You know...off. Like I wasn't myself or something." a thoughtful expression rolled on Sakura's face as she recalled the lunch date. "Hmmmm. I can't remember anything off hand. You seemed fine to me."

"Really? That's great."

"Why ask?"

Naruto came up with a lie. "Um, it's nothing serious. Shikamaru said I looked a little pale when he saw me today. Figured I was coming down with something." Sakura, ever the ready doctor, placed her palm on his forehead. "Well, you don't feel warm. How's your arm?"

Her husband flexed his bandaged fingers. "It's a bit tight but nothing that would bother me."

"Good. I'll have a look at it when we get home. Just head back down stairs. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"I'll be waiting." smiling to himself, Naruto turned around and began to head back to the elevator. He sighed in relief. Maybe she didn't notice his clone or she was just so overworked that she couldn't tell at that moment. Whatever the reason, he wasn't going to question it. He was just happy to avoid his punishment.

"Naruto, one more thing."

The Jinchuriki turned to his wife. "Yeah, Hun?"

Naruto didn't see her fist coming or the pain of the blow. To him, he simply went from standing still to fly down the corridor and out of the adjacent window, landed in a impact so hard, the whole of the city felt it. When his senses came back to him, he was face down in the dirt, the earth cracked and broken around him. His face felt like god had karate-chopped him with his thumb. His fast healing sealed up a few of the cuts he obtained from his little trip. His vision cleared up just in time to see the sight he feared more than anything on earth. Standing a few feet away was Sakura, his pink angel, staring at him with whited-out eyes and a fiery aura of rage surrounding her. She was pissed.

He considered running but he knew there was no escape from her.

Sakura stomped toward him, wifely fury in each step, until she was close enough to grab him by the neck and began shaking him violently. "YOU IDIOT!"

"Is there a problem, babe?"

"DON'T BABE ME! HOW COULD YOU LEAVE A FUCKIN' CLONE AND EXPECT ME NOT TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE?!" she transitioned to a rear-naked choke-hold.

"But...S-sakura..." he gasped out, his windpipe being crushed. "YOU'RE THE DAMN HOKAGE! AND THAT MEANS YOU DON'T DO STUPID SHIT LIKE THIS!"

"...mercy...mercy..."

"NOT TODAY! WHEN WE PICK UP THE KIDS, I'M USING THE BIG NEEDLES!" she roared as she released him from the hold and began to drag him along the ground via his combat sandals.

"Not the big needles! Sakura, please!"

"QUIT WHINING!"

Shizune, from her position at a nearby window, could only smile to herself as she watched the pair she had known since they were kids head home the only way they knew how. To anyone else, such a relationship would seem to be violent and unstable but to her and their group of friends, this was just how they interacted. When Naruto got out of line, it was Sakura who punched him back in line. And despite all the pain he was in, Shizune could see that goofy grin on his face as he was being dragged away by the love of his life.

* * *

"Hmmm," was all Sasuke said to himself as he felt the ground shutter. Naruto had been punished for leaving the village without telling anyone. He smiled. Sometimes, he pondered whither or not the idiot actually enjoyed the pain the pink-haired woman dished out to him, thought it wouldn't as much as it was back in the good old days. Nevertheless, he brought it on himself and he only felt a little bad for him.

Pushing that thought out of his mind, he arrived at the Uchiha District. It was so named because, for a long time, Sasuke was the only person who lived in this area of the village. Now, it is the home for New Konaha's police force, which he was the founder and Captain of. Sai was his second in command. He did initially find the root ninja's emotionless personality to be a bit off putting but Naruto spoke highly of him, so he gave him a chance. Over the years, he's become a much valued partner when it came to running the force. He seemed to enjoy doing paperwork. So much so that Sasuke often lets him do his share of the paperwork when he was busying or wanted to spend time with his wife.

As he passed into the small neighborhood that housed the police force, he noticed that Sai was no where to be found. He didn't really much mind. The guy was busy by the time he left so he wasn't surprised that he wasn't there to usually greet him.

After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at his home: a nice 2 story residence with the Uchiha clan symbol handing next to a small pouch swing. For being the home of the last of the Uchiha clan, it was remarkably modest and low-key. Sasuke had long since discarded the self-importance and arrogance about his bloodline. Such things didn't matter in this world. For now, he just wanted to live his life as simply as possible. With her.

He stood at the front door but made no attempt to enter what so ever. He had the key in his pocket so he could go in whenever he wanted. But still, he just stood there. He was waiting for someone to open the door. As if he was mentally commanding someone to allow him entrance into his own abode.

Suddenly, the door flew open.

Standing there, looking directly at Sasuke, was Hinata Hyuuga. Well, Hinata Uchiha. She was Sasuke's beloved and devoted spouse. For a few moments, neither said a word. They both just looked each other over as if they hadn't seen each other in years, rather than a few days. Her pale eyes looked over him, looking for any visible injuries, making sure that everything about him was in place. He did the same: her dark blue hair was cut shorter and more maturely managed for a woman in her 30s. Her skin was a soft white, almost like a porcelain doll. She still retained her full figure from her youth, which made her the target of lust of many of the single men in the village, up until about 3 years ago. She was dressed in a purple apron with little messy spots on it and a white gown under it.

"Sasuke," she utter before they crashed into each other with a passionate embrace. Hands roamed each other's bodies. Smells intermingled in noses. Lips pressed against lips, unwilling to let go. Needless to say, these two were totally and absolutely in love with each other.

"Hey, Princess," he said, calling her by the nickname he gave her years ago on the road.

"You're home early," she committed.

"Had to head back sooner than I thought. Had a...unexpected hiccup."

"Naruto?"

He smiled. "How'd you guess?"

"The house shook. Sakura must be mad."

"Yup. Poor bastard actually begged me to come with him."

"Poor Naruto," she said about her former crush, "You should've gone with him. At least to give him a chance to run."

"Dug his own grave. Besides, he was going home to his wife. I wanted to come home to mine."

"flatterer," she said, planting a kiss on his lips.

"So where is my other girl?"

"She's in the living room. And she's been ready for you for days."

"Good." with arm wrapped around her shoulder, Sasuke entered his home and walked into the living room. Sitting in a walker, gnawing on a plastic toy ring, was a adorable 7 month old baby girl. He smiled to himself as she babbled in baby talk, attempting to form words that she didn't know the meaning of.

"There's my angel." the girl turned to him. Her chubby little face lit up like a bonfire. Sasuke sprinted over and scooped the little one into his arms.

"My little Sarada."

Sarada Uchiha. The daughter he never thought he'd have. Since this age began, Sasuke wasn't sure if he wanted to have kids but all that changed when he saw the cute face of the girl he had with his beloved wife. The baby inherited her mother's deep blue hair but had her father's dark eyes. Sasuke honestly thought that she was the most beautiful baby in the world. It didn't hurt that she was total daddy's girl. She never smiled more brightly or as often when she was in the safe, secure hands of her father. Hinata watched her husband rain kisses on the chubby face on their one and only child. The Hyuuga princess was often asked how she could be so sure that no woman could steal her husband from her? She would simple refer them to Sarada, the only woman he probably love more than her. And she was fine with it.

"I'll go dinner started," she announced.

"No, you don't have to. We can go out and eat," he suggested.

She shook her head. "I've been cooking for you for years, Sasuke I think I can handle it. And you get to play with Sarada until then."

Sasuke gave her a mock-pout. "Damn," he cursed, "I really wanted to go out too. Oh well. Guess I'll have to enjoy a nice, home-cooked meal by my beautiful, wonderful wife whom I love with all my heart and play with my perfect child. Can't everything you want."

Hinata laughed at his not-disappointment. "Just suck it up and ride it out. Have fun, you two." she kissed him on the cheek before retreating into the kitchen. "We will. Now..." Sasuke said to his laughing child, "...who wants a piggy-back ride?"

* * *

"Dad's in trouble. Dad's in trouble," sung 8-year old Minato Uzumaki at his father as his mother was injecting some rather large acupuncture needles in his now unbandaged arm.

"you little traitor! How dare you laugh at you-OWW!" Naruto said as Sakura pricked him with another needle, a lot harder than she needed to. "He has every right to laugh at how foolish his father has been. Now, stop moving so much," she ordered. Naruto wilted under her glare while Minato and his younger sister, 4 year old Etsuko, looking on with cheese grins.

It had been a hour since the family had gotten home and Sakura informed her kids why their father was being dragged home, instead of walking under his own power. This was something they were quite use to: Naruto doing something stupid and Sakura admonishing him for it. A normal day for the Uzumaki house hold. They were gathered in the living room as their pink-haired mother began her daily acupuncture treatments for his injured arm. She normally didn't use the larger needles but the lady was upset with her spouse and thus, wished for him to suffer a bit. The kids had no sympathy for him.

Minato looked very much like his father, with a few parts that favored his paternal grandfather. His eyes was blonde but not the level of his father, with a light tone of pink mixed in. he had Sakura's brilliant green eyes, something that got him a lot of admirers from the older women that made up his parents' group of friends. His attire was simple: a white t-shirt, green shorts, and matching sandals. He also inherited his father's bright, cheesy grin, which he was giving to his father. The boy was, in shikamaru's words, "ruthlessly intelligent". He made high marks in his class and was told that he could have a great career as a ninja, if his parents allowed him.

Little Etsuko was almost he spitting image of her medic of a mother: bright pink hair, somewhat slim face, with a few freckles dotting her face. Her eyes were the deep cerulean color of her father's, something her mother loved all too much. Her outfit was a simple yellow sundress with white socks. The most prominent part of her appearance was a green pacifier in her mouth. Some would say the girl was far too old for something like that but Etsuko was a child who marched to the beat of her own drum. Her parents have long since stopped trying to keep her from sucking on the thing. When they took one pacifier from her, she merely found another.

"Shikamaru-sensei told me you were gonna get it," spoke Minato

"Shikamaru-sensei doesn't know everything," said Naruto

"He did in this case."

Etsuko chimed in, "Why do you keep doing it if you know you will get caught?"

"Because Daddy is a moron," chided their mother.

"Sakura, not in front of the kids..."he whined, much to the amusement of his two offspring.

"Hush. Now, you kids go wash up for dinner."

"Ramen?" Naruto, Minato, and Etsuko asked at the same. Sadly, for Sakura, their children had inherited their father's addiction for the noodles. Something she sorely wished that they would grow out of. "No ramen." the trio groaned. "You two already had your fill for this week. And you..." She looked at Naruto, "...are on punishment. No ramen for a mouth."

"But Sakura..."

"Any more whining and it's two months." the Hokage fell silent to her warning. "now, you two. Wash. Now."

"Yes, mommy. Come on, Etsuko," Minato called to his sister as he got up from his seat. The girl, still suckling on her pacifier, followed him out of the room. Sakura skillfully removed the needles from his arm, with very little blood being drawn out. "OK. How's that?"

Naruto bent his arm and flexed his fingers, grunting a bit at the slight ache in the joints. "Pain's numbed out. Still a bit stiff though."

She felt him stretch the muscles in his arm, sensing the minute shifts and changes in his muscles and joints. "Thought so. The nerve damage is slacked up but it will be a while before you can really use it. Just thankful you didn't go nuts with it when you went out for your little jog."

"Just following doctor's orders."

"Not all of them, it seems."

He grasped her hand with his. "Sakura..."

She sighed. "Naruto, you know you can't keep doing stuff like this. You're the Hokage. The village can't lose you. The kids can't lose their father. And I can't lose my husband."

"And you won't. I know I do stupid shit. But...I feel like I wanna do more."

"You do enough."

"Not from behind a desk. Sometimes, I just wanna get my hands dirty, like Sasuke and everyone else on the scout teams."

"I understand that but if we lost you..."

"You won't," he kissed her hand, "I'm too stubborn to die and you are too good to let me."

Sakura couldn't contain her smile any longer. "You have a lot of faith in me bringing you back from the dead."

"You did it once before. I'm sure you can do it again."

"Charmer." The pair leaned into each other for a deep and reassuring kiss. Even after all these years, the passion between never seemed to die. Out of all their friends, they were the couple that were most guilty of rampant PDAs. Naruto always made it a point to show his wife how much he loved her and Sakura always responded in kind. According to Sasuke, it was "Damned annoying".

"Mmmmmmm two weeks," Sakura muttered out of the kiss.

"AWWWWWWW!"

"Don't complain. Don't want the kids to think I'm going easy on you," She said, arising from her seat and packing the small med kit she kept at home. The blonde ninja took the opportunity to leer at his wife's ample backside as she was bent over. Feeling his blue eyes on her, she turned her head towards him. "What are you looking at?"

"Dessert."

"And who says you are getting dessert?"

"Who says I'm not?"

She finished her task and reached over to pinched his whiskered cheek. "Go wash up and maybe, you get dessert."

He flashed her this famous fox grin as she walked away, a little extra wiggle in her walk, knowing full well that he was watching her every movement. Naruto leaned back in his chair and sighed contently. It was times like these that made him appreciate what he had. He loved being Hokage, paperwork not withstanding, but more than anything, he loved being married to Sakura and being a father to his kids.

"Believe it."

* * *

The high pitched cry of Sarada cut through the still night air of the Uchiha home. Sasuke groaned a bit as he was aroused from his slumber. He glanced at the clock next to his bed.

11:45pm.

As a new father, he expected not to catch a lot of sleep. It was times like this that made him wonder how Chouji and Ino found the time for sleep with all their kids. 5 kids with one on the way was not something he could see for himself. He felt Hinata's body shift under him. He felt Hinata's body shift under him. She was starting to wake up too.

"Sarada's awake, Sasuke..." she mumbled.

"Go back to sleep, Princess. I'll get her." he kissed her cheek, causing her to relax and return to sleep. He pulled himself out of the bed he shared with his beloved wife and pulled on his dark blue robe. He didn't bother putting on the eye-patch that rested on the nightstand. He exited the bedroom and advanced across the hall to his daughter's room. There, he found his precious girl, bawling her eyes out in her crib.

"Hey young lady. What's all this about?" Sasuke reached down and pulled the child out of her crib. He felt her bottom. Dry as a bone. She didn't seem to be teething. She normally didn't wake up this early from something like that. Her jittery movements told him all he needed to know: his little girl was having a nightmare.

"Shhhhhhh.." he whispered as she continued to fuss. He exited the room and began to silently wandered the dark halls of his home. This always seemed to calm her when she was teething or upset. He held her close to his chest, letting her hear his heartbeat, breathe in his scent, and feel his arms around her. He wanted her to know that she was safe from her nightmares. Slowly, Sarada began to settle from her fit of tears into a content slumber again.

"There you go," Sasuke said, planting a small kiss on her crown, "Daddy's here. Daddy's not going anywhere."

Despite his own exhaustion, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to take her back to her room. He loved holding his daughter, letting her know that he was there for her. In this time, in this place, with his girls, Sasuke Uchiha felt content with his life. He was so wrapped up in this moment, he didn't hear the phone ring.

He didn't hear Hinata wake up and answer it.

He didn't hear her having a hush conversation with the person on the other line.

He didn't hear her get up from their bed and walked up to him.

It wasn't until she touched him on the shoulder that he was aware of her presence. "Hinata?"

"Sasuke, there was a call."

"If it's Sai, tell him that whatever it is that so damn important..." he started.

The last Hyuuga shook her head. "No. it was the hospital."

"What?" he asked.

"It's Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke exhaled loudly, but not enough to wake the baby. He was expecting that call. Expecting and dreading.

"Guess it's time."

* * *

Whenever he found himself unable to sleep, Naruto Uzumaki would looking in on his kids and watch them sleep. He didn't know when he started this habit but it was something he did to settle himself. First, he always looked in on Minato It consistently amused him when he gazed upon his son: dead to the world with a river of slob flowing out his mouth, green froggy Pjs, blankets laying upon the floor, limbs sprawled across the bed, and slight mumbles in his sleep. Jiraiya often told him that he was a messy sleeper. He didn't believe him until right now.

Mutely, he backed away from his son's doorway, closing the door behind. Naruto advanced to the next room, spying in on little Etsuko. She was wrapped up in her covered, a giant tiger doll clutched tightly in her hands. Jun was his name. It was made by Ino for her 2nd birthday. It was her favorite doll out of the 10 or so she had scattered across the room. Etsuko couldn't sleep properly without her beloved Jun. He once tried to take the tiger from her as she slept, just to see what she would do. He couldn't even budge the thing out of her vice-like grip. And he ever tried again after that and warned anyone foolish enough to try it.

Like before, he quietly shut the door, confident in her peaceful rest.

He drifted into the living room, glancing at the many pictures sprinkled about.

The group pic he took alongside everyone of his friends, just a few days after the end of the war.

A quick snap shot of him and Sakura on a date at Ichiraku roman. It would be a week after this that the invaders arrived and turned the world upside down.

Another was of a tired and battle weary Naruto, walking among the shinobi he had lead into combat against them.

Naruto and Sakura's wedding day. It happened just as they won a major battle against the invaders, pushing them out of the fire country for a few months.

The birth of Minato. Kakashi took the picture just a hour after he was born. He and Sakura looked so happy with the little blonde babe wrapped in blue blanket.

Etsuko's birth. Little Minato insisted on holding her as they took the picture. Always the devoted big brother.

The Hokage found himself outside on the balcony. He stared out at the dimly lit landscape of New Konoha. They had come so far from the early days of fighting battle after battle, trying to hold what little ground they could. Naruto picked this site out himself over 12 years ago. It started only as a fall back position for the leaf but eventually it became this sprawling city. The last city of humanity.

His eyes traced along the edges of the wall. While he was proud of how far they had come, it always came back to the wall. Or rather, what was beyond it. He knew they were out there. Always out there. Always ready to kill them. It was all at the back of his mind. How long before they came to the walls, in force? In numbers that they couldn't push back? Could they stop them? Could he?

"Out for some fresh air?"

Naruto smiled at Sakura's voice. "Didn't wanna wake you."

"You failed," she joked, her robe flowing in the wind. "Can't sleep?"

He sighed. "sorta."

"what's wrong?"

"It's...things. Everything. Nothing."

The pink-haired woman walked over and embraced his arm. "You worried about...that?" She motioned to the walls. He didn't answer nor nod his head. She knew that's what the problem was. Being his teammate, best friend, and wife for so long, Sakura could read him like a book. She knew what worried him. "Naruto, you worry too much. Look at this city. It's because of you that we have this."

"But...for how long?" he asked, "We've been lucky so far. For so many years. How long can this last?"

"It will last as long as we will it. It will last for them."

"The kids deserve a world to live in. this city isn't a world."

"This city is letting them survive, Naruto"

"surviving ain't living, Sakura Not by a long shot."

The telephone cut off Sara's response. She kissed him on the cheek before going back inside to answer it. Naruto returned his gaze back to the city, catching bits of her conversation.

"Hello?...No, sunshine Me and Naruto were already awake. What's up?...Are you sure?...Yes...Yes. I understand. Get the charts ready and keep monitoring his condition. We'll be there in 30 minutes. Thanks...Bye."

Naruto turned to her as she returned to the balcony, a distressed expression on her face. "Sakura?"

"That was sunshine at the hospital. It's Ashikaga-sensei"

Naruto couldn't see his own face but he knew he was making the same look as Sakura He knew what this was. He had been mentally preparing himself for it for months. Now, it was time to see if his preparations had any strength in them.

"It's time, isn't it."

* * *

 **Next time: THE DEATH OF KAKASHI HATAKE**

* * *

MA: and there is chapter one in the books. Hope you guys liked the world I painted for the future of "Naruto". I had some trouble with the children, coming up with names and personality for them. Some just came off the fly. If I got some things wrong, I'm sorry in advance for getting the details wrong. It's hard remembering things you half-forgot after being pissed for so long. So I hope you all stick with it and keep reading. I won't start work on the next chapter until I get about 10 reviews or so. So hopeful, until next time.

LATER FICCERS!


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